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 Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2012 10:03 pm
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Greetings!
Hello my newly acquired pages! I'm Aminah. I say this like you're suddenly going to talk back to me or acknowledge my existence. I bet it sounds silly. Well, I’m from the leaf tribe, and I’m a prentice! I was so happy when I finally became of age to start my training. I didn’t really know at first what it was that I wanted to be, I thought for the longest time that I would become an archer like my mother. Oh, yes! My mother! I should tell you about my family. My mother was born in Tale as a part of the leaf tribe, and my father… well, my father is really different. My father is a shifter. He was born in Jauhar under the canopy, and he used to tell me so many stories of what it was like over there. It always sounds so incredible; so many weird colors and animals. So different from the forests and plains of Tale, like you can even call it true forests. The trees are in small clusters all over the vast dry desert that is most of Tale.
Anyways, my father was born into the shifter tribes that live up in the tree tops of the very large trees in Jauhar. He grew up like any normal youngling did there, playing with the other younglings and wreaking havoc for his parents. When he was a prentice, he trained to become a fortress. He wanted to protect everyone in his tribe and he really fit the description. He’s a pretty big guy. Well, one day, after he had become a massif (which is the step under a fortress) he met my mother.
When he was out in the wild of Jauhar, he got pretty close to the edge of our land. He had taken a break next to some water to eat some food and to eventually head back home. Well, then my mother came in the picture. My mother was a beautiful leaf girl that was still titled an archer. She was younger than my father, but only be a few years, and was very spunky from what I hear. She was exploring the other forests like she usually did back in those days (though secretly of course), and spotted my father from the tree she was sitting in. My mother and father always tell this part of the story different, but it goes something like she snuck up on Father and held him at arrow-point. Then some sort of misunderstanding occurred and they were fighting.
Well, long story short, they stopped fighting, and my mother and father became friends. They would meet up secretly once a week and tell each other stories about themselves and where they were from. Eventually, they started talking about their personal thoughts and how they felt when they would meet up with each other, like best friends do. You know, stuff about girls in the tribe, pests that wouldn’t leave them alone, their familiars that they had gotten, personal stuff, not just where they came from. Well, my father was one smooth talker, because before long, they were in love with each other! It’s such an exciting part to hear about from my parents. They were so sweet for each other and Father was so romantic. He would bring my mother presents during their personal meetings; oh, it was just so romantic! I’m blushing just thinking about it!
Well, one thing leads to another and my parents said their sacred vows in private where they first met. It was just the two of them in the moonlight that leaked in through the less dense canopy of the outskirts of Jauhar. They were madly in love and soon later found out that they were going to be expecting a sweet little bundle of joy. I bet you couldn’t guess who that would be! I was just a little one inside my mother’s stomach, but they already loved me more than could be imagined. They knew then that with me on the way, they had to settle down and stop meeting in private. My mother’s village would start to notice when her stomach couldn’t be hidden anymore, I just wouldn’t stop growing.
So my father brought my mother back with him to the canopies he lived in one day, meaning to introduce his love to the others and hopefully bring her home to stay, but things didn’t go so smoothly. The other shifters were furious that he had brought home a leaf girl, and even more so when they had found out that he had already taken the sacred vows with this woman. They didn’t even know about little old me yet. They told Father that he had to choose between his village and this girl that was stepping into dangerous territory. My father couldn’t believe what he was hearing! He didn’t know that the elders of the village could be so closed minded.
Well, let me tell you that my father wouldn’t stand for it. He left with my mother and never returned again. It was really hard for him, to leave all of his friends and family behind. His own parents had turned themselves away from their own son, not wanting what they considered a silly fantasy to go on any longer. My father had a younger sister also. She had just become a prentice at the time, and my father used to tell me about how sad her eyes looked when he had to say goodbye for that final time. He still really misses his little sister and I can tell sometimes that he’s thinking about her when he gets that look on his face.
After that day, my father and mother spent the night in the forest, holding each other and whispering words of the future to each other. They decided that in the morning they would go to my mother’s home and try to find shelter and a life there. When they got to the village, my mother’s people were just so worried about her. She had been missing for a little over two days now without any word from her. My father stayed off in the shadows of the village, waiting for my mother to introduce him, trying to ease himself into the situation. My mother reassured everyone that she was ok, and that she had had help with getting home and she had something to tell them. But she wanted to break the news slowly. She told the rest of the tribe that later that night, she would tell them all she had to say, but that she needed to talk to her parents first. My mother, like me, was an only child. My grandmother was always really sick and lost some of her babies before they could even take in a breath. She had tried and hoped that eventually she could have one child, and deep in her heart she had wanted a girl. Eventually, she was granted her wish and my mother was born healthy and ready for life. It’s also a sweet sad story, and I love my grandparents dearly. They’re wonderful people, especially for what happens next in the story.
My mother, once the village had gone back to their business, followed her parents back to their home and when in the sanctity of their home, started her story. She told them everything, her secret meetings, the sacred vows, the secret little me she hadn’t told anyone except for my father about, and the shifters that had shunned them for what she was. After she had finished her story, she told them that she would like to stay here, in the leaf village with her love, my father. My grandparents had listened to her whole story, with some shock and awe, knowing that their daughter had done the unthinkable of falling in love with someone not of her own race, and the surprise that what had been so hard for my grandmother was becoming a reality for her daughter. My grandmother held my mother in a long embrace and whispered words of care and love into her ear. My grandfather was also a very kind man, and gave his daughter a hug also, understanding what grandchildren meant to my grandmother, and understanding that love knows no bounds.
My mother brought my father into their home then and my grandparents warmly accepted him into the family, knowing that this was the right thing for my mother and that they would support her throughout their lives. Later that night, my mother with her parents behind her, broke the news to the village. The village wasn’t quite as warm as my mother’s parents were, but they didn’t shun them like the shifters had. They allowed them to live in the village, and to become a part of their society, but they wouldn’t pretend that what my mother had done was natural. That’s why we have our home now, on the outer limits of the village. Not because we were forced to move here, but because it’s what my parents thought was best for me when I was born. They wanted me to grow up without feeling constantly alone in a crowd of people. They wanted me to be happy. My grandparents also moved to another home closer to ours so they could watch me grow up as well, and everyone was very happy when I had become a prentice, like all the other children my age.
(Word count: 1,58 cool |
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2012 10:04 pm
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Change your Fate
Aminah had always been looked at as an outcast in her village. Even her father, who was a shifter, was more accepted than the mutt that she was considered. She looked at her pale peach-colored skin everyday as she woke up and sighed inwardly. She’d look at her white hair and her slightly pointed ears in water reflections and think of her father and the shifters that had cast her family out when they had found out her mother was pregnant. She didn’t hold any scorn towards the shifters, and she didn’t blame anyone for thinking that she was different and in some cases a freak, but she did feel that little bit of heaviness on her shoulders. She grew up forcing a smile to her face, hoping that this would somehow make her a happier person, and as she aged she found this to be true. Her smile became more and more genuine, thought the little bit of sadness still did not leave her eyes.
When Aminah was taken on as a prentice and entered the second phase of her life, she became more positive and left a little bit of that sadness behind her. She turned her thoughts to exploring and making friends. Her personality already suited quite well, since she trusted everyone without a second thought, though this still contributed to that gleam of dismay peeking out from her smile.
This trusting nature of hers led her to where she was today. She stood at the top of one of the oldest trees in the forest of her village and looked down at the shaky branch that held her from her imminent death. Her friends from the village, the children her own age, had told her that everyone in the village had to go up this tree and fetch a kinfa feather when they were her age. They told her that all the other children had already gone and plucked one themselves and that they would be there to cheer her on for her turn.
Her turn.
She was finally becoming a part of the group, and this made her happier than anyone could possibly believe. She thought that she had shaken these thoughts of being an outcast when she had become a prentice, but maybe it was too soon. These feelings hadn’t really left and because of that she was in the predicament she was now. Her heart raced with fear and anticipation as she spotted the kinfa nest up ahead. A lot of the children she knew would pick on kinfas and steal their eggs, in her opinion being rude and childish. But she never spoke these thoughts to anyone. They weren’t nice, and were just passing thoughts of empathy to the kinfa babies that were never born because of them. She shimmied her way closer to the nest, trying not to look down. The floor had to be at least 100 feet below her, and shrinking further from the view the more she happened to look down. Aminah was mildly afraid of heights, but from this high up, anyone is.
The birds grew more restless as Aminah crawled closer, but the mama wasn’t about to leave her nest with four newborns to look after. The mother bird shifted from foot to foot, uncertain about what action to take: should she fight Aminah to save her chicks, or should she guard her babies from the nest? The mother seemed to make eye contact with Aminah, and Aminah took the time to start calling to mother bird in a hushed calm voice, covering her own turmoil in order to coax the uncertain kinfa. ”Hello mama kinfa, don’t be scared. I’m not here to hurt you. I just need one of your pretty feathers. Aminah bit her lip slightly, thinking about plucking a feather from the mother. She hoped it wouldn’t hurt her. Maybe she could just find a loose feather in the nest. But that would involve getting even closer to the nest. The branch had already started to wiggle with Aminah’s added weight on the branch. Maybe she should just turn back, this wasn’t sounding like a good idea anymore.
Aminah shimmied a little slower, unsure as to whether to continue or not. This hesitation was just the move the mother bird needed to take her stand. The bird hopped down the branch to Aminah in a fury, cawing incessantly. Aminah’s eyes widened; her insides twisting as they already knew what was going to happen next.
In a flash, the mother kinfa had spread her wings and made the small swoop to Aminah’s location on the branch. Her body wiggled with the branch as the mother pecked at the back of Aminah’s head. Aminah’s arms were frantically trying to shoo the bird away and cover her head from the oncoming attack at the same time. And then it happened. Aminah felt her body weight shift on the branch just enough to begin her rotation on the one thing holding her in the air. Her legs lost purchase from the force of the spin and sent her in a long spiral to the floor. Her heart was racing and she could hardly breathe as she saw the hard ground growing closer to her with every millisecond.
The other prentice children gasped from what they were seeing at ground level. Things could not look worse for Aminah. The shriek that pierced the air chilled to the bone with the imminence of what they could only think of as their fault.
As Aminah continued her brisk hurtle to the ground, something amazing happened. Her body loosened and her arms made a shield for her head. Her primal instincts kicked in and slowed her heart rate. Seconds from impact, Aminah felt as though a huge breath was released from the very center of her body. The ground underneath her seemed to yield to her being and a cushion of air erupted from what felt like her soul. The air that had seemed to be forcing her imminent doom a second earlier was now saving her from the crushing earth below. Her body tingled with the sensation, though her senses were only partially aware of what was happening.
The air flowing beneath her dissipated as quickly as it had appeared and left Aminah on all fours on the ground. Her hair crowded her vision as the other children shifted from gaping to running in Aminah’s direction. The children stopped short and became cautious the closer they came. So much for finally fitting in. Aminah had never heard of something like that happening before, though it couldn’t be impossible. She shoved all thoughts from her mind though when she felt what was still clutched in her hand.
Her face broke into a wide grin and she turned, still on her knees, to her fellow children. She shoved her fist in the air, the kinfa feather still between her fingers.
The other children erupted into cheering, quickly forgetting the event that had just taken place in order to celebrate the safe and ferociously awesome person that was Aminah. Aminah’s mind reeled with questions and decisions as the other children pulled her to her feet and took the feather from her hand. “How did you make it all the way to the ground without losing this?!” “Wow Aminah! That was so cool!” “We didn’t think that you would actually do it, but you’re totally one of us now! We can hang out any time.” ”Thanks guys.” The praise continued, and while Aminah’s grin was real, her mind was already racing to her next line of thoughts.
How did I do that?
It was then and there that Aminah had decided that she knew what she wanted to study and to become. She wanted to be a magic wielder. The amount of power she felt surging through her body couldn’t be passed up as no big deal. Even though she had only tasted a brief bit of it, Aminah wanted to hone in on skills she never knew she had and to become magic savvy. The excitement was already building. She just hoped she didn’t need near-death experiences to push her to her potential. She had always thought that she would have wanted to become an archer, like her mother before her. She looked up to her mother, and wanted to be as much like her as possible, but this new development would change her fate forever.
But this wasn’t the only thought crowding her brain. She had friends now. And a lot of them. They all saw what she did and accepted her for that. She did something strange and different and nobody shunned her for it. It was such a relief she didn’t even know she was waiting for. The chance to prove herself to others and to be deemed acceptable for being different was something she yearned for so deeply, it wasn’t even known to her conscious. Her grin broadened even more at the thought of acceptance. Now came the biggest question: what was she going to tell her parents?
(Word count: 1,519)
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Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2012 10:05 pm
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Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 8:34 pm
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Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 2:11 pm
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Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 2:12 pm
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You Wouldn't Believe!
Part 1:
Hello again. Well, the past few days have been really eventful as of late. You know, the usual stuff within the tribe. I met a girl Keilana that I’m hoping will be my friend… and an Alkidike… You know… no big deal… Alright, who am I kidding? I really don’t know where to begin with this one… I… I’ve now had my first kiss! It was nothing like I had always imagined it would be. Like, for one thing, it was with a girl. And not only a girl, but an Alkidike! It couldn’t be any more different than what I had thought would happen. I thought it would be with a boy that I liked, some cute leaf tribe boy that I would have had a crush on for a long time. Something romantic and sweet! This girl is about as different from me as it gets. Her name is Jerarda. She seems really pushy and proud, and keeps getting really close to me in the most embarrassing of ways. Like this kiss for example. I don’t know what to make of her yet. I wanted her as a friend, but now… now everything feels different.
I had just met her, and we were – well, I was – trying to have a conversation, but Jerarda would keep getting really close to me. I was just trying to be myself and to be friendly, so I teased her a little bit. Turns out, I should be careful about who I tease. Jerarda is too unpredictable. Just when I thought she couldn’t do anything more different than what she was already doing, it’s like she snapped. She grabbed me and held me really close to where I couldn’t move… and… well, it’s really too embarrassing to describe it! I already had to live through it. I get a blush just thinking about Jerarda’s arms around me, and… Oh! I don’t know what to do! I don’t know what I’m even feeling! Things are so hazy for me right now. I’ve never had a boyfriend, or any sort of encounter with a boy in the tribe that is anything like what jerarda did. She’s so uncomfortably close. It gives me goose bumps thinking about it.
Jerarda is… well, different, like I already said. She has the most unusual hair that I’ve seen so far. The sides of her head are cut really close to her head and she has the rest of her hair tied up in dreads. It’s so interesting I almost want to touch it... Jerarda apparently thought that same thing, too, since she apparently couldn’t keep herself from touching my hair. Oh, my… I should have seen the signs! I knew she was being a little too friendly, and a little too close, but I didn’t know! I didn’t know I would feel like this and I didn’t know that she would do what she did. The goose bumps are back. They come back every time I see her, or even think about her! I’m so confused! I can’t get her out of my head. Am I really this lonely that the first contact with anyone and I go crazy? I even waited a couple of days before writing about it. It didn’t help. I just keep replaying the scene in my head over and over again. The thought of Jerarda’s touch makes me shiver… and I can’t say for sure that it was in a bad way…
Do I like girls? Or is Jerarda just so masculine that I can’t help it? She felt so warm… No! Stop thinking like that! This isn’t you, Aminah! Or is it? I can’t be sure anymore! I feel so confused. I know I say that a lot, but it’s the truth. I want to see Jerarda again, though I don’t know when it will be. I know the Alkidike are gathering at the edge of our forest, but I haven’t seen Jerarda yet… not that I’m looking… I mean… I… don’t… like… girls… or Jerarda… She just caught me off guard. Yeah, that’s right! She caught me off guard. I wasn’t ready for it, so I didn’t have a chance to ever think about if something like that happened. It’s thrown me off balance, and now I need to just give it time and I’ll get better! I’m glad I can talk to you about how I’m feeling. I think this is the first thing ever that I can’t tell my parents. I don’t know if I can ever tell anyone about it. I keep thinking about jerarda’s lips, and how soft they – no! I need to get better! I have to stop thinking about it! Now Aminah!
It’s no use… I’m still haunted by what Jerarda said right after! “The more you pout the more I want to do terrible things to you.” What’s that supposed to mean?! I can’t even begin to understand that or want to think about it, though I can’t help but feel a little weak at the thought. What did Jerarda mean! It’s too much to think about. C’mon Aminah, breathe for a second! Get a hold of yourself. She’s an Alkidike for crying out loud! This shouldn’t even be an issue!
I tried to play it off after the kiss happened. I’m hoping Jerarda bought it. I’m a really horrible liar, but what was I supposed to do? I told her that I didn’t want another kiss. And that’s the truth! Or at least I think that’s the truth. I thought Jerarda and I could be friends, but now… I don’t even know! She’s completely turned me upside down. Maybe I just need to talk to her… maybe not.
But she stole my first kiss from me! Why did she have to do that? Why couldn’t she just leave me alone and not put me through this torment? Oh man… what am I supposed to do! This is the single hardest thing that’s ever happened in my life. But I almost miss Jerarda’s touch. The intimate feelings that came with it… Oh! I’m blushing again. I feel like I could ramble on this forever! I just need some time to calm down and figure things out. I have time. There’s always time. Maybe the journey we’re taking will clear my head. I just need time.
Part 2:
It’s no use! Jerarda was part of the group of Alkidike! She showed up later into the day with another Alkidike in tow. I knew deep down she would be, but I was almost hoping she wasn’t. I feel like such a coward. I hid the whole time, trying not to catch her eye. It didn’t work though. Before we set out, she waved and made a smoochie face at me! In front of the whole tribe! And all of her Alkidike sisters, and the shifters! It’s like the whole world saw it. I think you could’ve seen my blush from the other side of Tale! I was so embarrassed! I couldn’t even help it. She has so much effect on me it’s not even funny! Oh, I don’t know what to do! Should I talk to her? Try to talk to her again? Because I can already think about where that will get me.
My body betrays me even now. It’s reacting to the thought of a conversation with Jerarda and her teasingly not-very-subtle flirting that end up in threats that make me want to pass out. I don’t know if I want to put myself in a situation where Jerarda could kiss me again. Or do I want that? I don’t even know! I keep thinking about the feeling of Jerarda’s arms holding me so tight I can’t possibly escape her grasp. She’s so much stronger than me. Not that it’s that hard to do, I’m not exactly strong to begin with and she’s an Alkidike. She has size and training on her side. She joined the Alkidike that were talking to Enki, and seemed really angry about something. Oh, why couldn’t I just have a crush on Enki? At least then I would be able to hold onto something normal.
The only good thing about the trip was that I didn’t have to actually put my feelings to the test. Jerarda didn’t talk to me again after we started on the journey. I guess with all of her sisters around, she doesn’t care about picking on little mixed-breed girls. Or maybe she’s too busy acting tough with the Alkidikes. Either way, I didn’t have to actually talk to her or let slip any of my confused feelings into the world. It’s probably for the best. Jerarda is something that I don’t know how to handle, and it’s turned my whole world upside down. She’s even put into question my preference… if you know what I mean. But I still think it’s just because Jerarda is so masculine to begin with. It was practically like kissing a boy… with breasts… Umm… ok maybe not like kissing a boy. Her lips were so soft! Oh, jeez Aminah! Pull yourself together.
(Word count: 1,524) |
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Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 2:14 pm
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Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 2:16 pm
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Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 2:19 pm
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Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 2:23 pm
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Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 2:25 pm
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Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 2:27 pm
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Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2012 11:15 am
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Lonely
Aminah stared down at her new staff in her hands. Her life had taken a definite turn for the better. She had people that she knew now. People that were interesting and different and strange like herself. She had met Alkidike, shifters, and even members from the wind and ice tribes to the east. She should be ecstatic; especially with someone like Keilana as a friend. Keilana was a real friend and not an acquaintance. But something was missing.
She still felt lonely.
She didn’t have a lot of encounters with these new people she had met and she hadn’t seen Keilana in weeks. She needed to find something. Someone. She was restless. She stood from her sitting place in the forest, pulled her staff back into its proper place on her body and wandered from her spot. She didn’t know what she was looking for, but she knew she needed to find it. She wandered east. Maybe she just needed a journey. Something to put herself out there and find more friends. The thought sent a little thrill through her body. Maybe she would find more friends. She needed that, she thought. She looked around her as she walked. As she journeyed. Hopefully she had learned enough about traveling on her first adventure that she could make it as far as she needed to go before she found what it was that she was looking for. She passed tree after enormous tree, reaching further into the heart of the forest. The trees were getting thicker and closer together.
But then they started to thin again.
She was out on the plains of Tale, the soft sand underfoot. Her hair drifted through the dry breeze that followed her on her journey. The sights before her were similar as she walked. In the far distance she could make out a few more pocketed of Tale forest. She had never been to the other forests. Maybe there were friends there. But she knew that that wasn’t where she wanted to go. Her body was pulling her farther forward. She pulled her water sack from her bag she had brought with her and pulled the lid off. She sat on the soft sand, letting it pull her softly into itself. She drank a few small sips from the water, letting it touch her throat and nurture her tongue before it continued its journey to her stomach. She replaced the water sack to its place in her things and let her body fall into the sand. She stared at the sky, watching for some sign, something to keep her moving or turn her back. She was so restless.
Finally, she picked herself up from the ground, brushing the sand from her skin, knowing that she needed to keep moving. She continued onward. The soft sands beneath her feet began to turn into hard ground by her third day into her journey. She had sustained herself on water and nectar from the plants while she journeyed. She hadn’t met a soul yet on her track east. She was in Sauti now and the wind was harsher. Her hair whipped her face for most of her trek as she continued eastward. Sauti seemed closer to her goal. Closer to where she needed to be.
She continued to wander. These lands she knew less. She needed to have some way to feed herself and the lack of knowledge and people to ask worried her. She started to look for settlements as she journeyed. She needed to ask about food sources. She didn’t know enough to eat here. Finally she found an encampment. A group of wind tribe members, no more than 5 were setting up camp closed to where she was. She walked closer to them. They were strangers but surely they were good people. She smiled as she approached. ”Hello there. I don’t mean to bother you, but I’m not quite certain what it is that I can do about food here.
The people there were too busy setting their camp to know that they were being approached. They were surprised by the sound of Aminah’s voice and jumped slightly. One man had pulled a small knife in his surprise. Luckily for Aminah, he sighed at the sight of her and returned his weapon. They eyed each other slowly until a woman older than Aminah approached her. ”I’m sorry dear, but we don’t have any food to spare.” Her eyes were tired but Aminah could tell from the look of them that they were kind. ”I’m not looking for a hand out.” she rubbed her head, understanding their assumption. Aminah didn’t look like much to begin with and after traveling for days she was quite dirty. ”I’m traveling from Tale and I just don’t know enough about Sauti to know what won’t kill me.” She laughed slightly at her request for knowledge.
The woman turned to one of the men setting up the tents and called to him. ”Drit.” The man looked up at once and came to join them. ”Drit, can you take this girl around a bit and just show her what she can pick for herself? I’ll have the others take over set up. And while you’re out fetch some water for the camp.” Drit looked Aminah over, his eyes assessing how hopeless he thought this would be. ”Come on.” was all he said, waving Aminah in his direction as he already started leaving.
Aminah hurried to catch up, happy that they were willing to show Aminah what she needed to know. She followed behind the silent Drit, waiting for him to speak. As she followed, her mind wandered, taking notice of the man walking in front of her. He had a handsome face. He couldn’t have been more than a few years older than Aminah. She shook her head slightly at the thought. Not something she should be thinking about while she’s hoping to find food. But the longer they walked, the more she couldn’t help but notice him. His hair was dark for a wind earthling. Not the shades of blondes of the others but a solid brown color. It suited his skin.
They finally reached where he was planning to take her; Aminah’s only clue was that he stopped walking. They were at the base of one of the many steep craggy hills in Sauti, a large pool of water flowing in its shadows. ”Alright girl, listen up. I don’t have time to waste showing you things you should already know if you’re going to go wandering around on your own.” His irritation was clearly shown on his face. ”It’s hard enough to find food when you know where to look.” He shook his head. ”The best place to find food is to look near the water. These plants here –“ He pointed to a small bush of a plant with dark maroon berries ” – are safe for eating. Don’t eat the berries. These aren’t so good. You can make the leaves into tea and boil the roots. They’re not the tastiest, but they’re everywhere and they’ll do.” He looked around for his next example. ”These guys here – “ he pointed to small fish swimming in the lake ” – They’re pretty good with the roots fried, you’ll need a lot of them, but they’ll give you protein. Make sure you boil any water you take before you drink it and you can use these lilies as a wrap for the fish.” He was going a little fast, but Aminah thought that she got it. ”What happens if I’m not around a pool? Can I find food anywhere else?” Drit’s face showed the flash of irritation for asking more questions. He obviously wanted to go back to his camp and help the others. ”Just try to stay near the water pools.” He turned to get water for his camp with the buckets that he had brought with him.
”Thank you Drit.” Aminah was happy to receive the help, even if it was slightly reluctant. ”Do you want me to help you carry one?” She asked, pointing to one of the full buckets. They looked like they could be heavy if he had to carry both. He turned to Aminah, staring at her arms, ”No offense, but I think I’ve got this. You just get your food and keep moving.” Aminah was slightly hurt by the brusque cut off of his answer. She had wanted to give him back something in return for helping her out. She turned to the plants and began to grab what she needed for the next few days. She picked up some of the lilies he had pointed out and used her water magic to pluck the little fish from the pond without having to make a net. She took only what she could use for the night, no doubt the fish wouldn’t last very long out in the open. After collecting them, she wrapped them in the lilies, hoping it will keep them a little longer.
Drit was finished with his task and lifted the buckets he was to carry back. ”Are you sure you don’t want help with that? I could do it.” Aminah called out to him. ”Just go. I’m fine.” He didn’t even turn to look back at her. Aminah waited until he was in the distance to follow him back. She didn’t want him to turn her away, but there had to be some way to repay him – and the others in the camp. They helped her out a lot, maybe she could do the same.
(Word count: 1,604) |
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Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2012 1:52 pm
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Yearning
Aminah continued to follow at a safe distance behind Drit. He finally reached the camp again and began speaking to the others, dropping his buckets near one of the makeshift tents. The tents they made were just alterations to the rocky outcroppings that were already there. She used the rocks as cover to get close enough to show herself again. She didn’t know why she felt such a need to return to the camp. She really didn’t have to help and any help she offered would probably be pointless. She had a habit of just getting in the way when it came to hard labor.
She followed her gut though and showed herself from behind her rocks, trying to act casual, like she wasn’t just hiding and following them back. The woman was the first to notice, turning her head in Aminah’s direction and pointing her out to the others. She could see Drit immediately turn the other way and sigh heavily. Aminah started to doubt the validity of her plan to come back. The woman who had first spoken to her was the one to approach her again. ”Dear… is there a reason you’re here again?” She still had those kind eyes, but her shoulders sagged. She was tired of playing ambassador for her little group. ”I was just hoping that there was some way I could repay you all for your help.” Aminah didn’t want to be turned away, but still didn’t know why she was pushing this so much. Maybe this was what she was looking for back in Tale, maybe she just needed new faces, or a way to prove herself to others. But she knew that that wasn’t it. She wasn’t the kind who felt the need to one-up anyone else, or to show off. She had been happy doing what it was that she had fit in doing in Tale. So why the sudden change?
The woman looked back to her group; the others had stopped what they were doing to watch. ”That’s a nice gesture dear, but we really don’t need it.” Her answer was abrupt and nonnegotiable even with her kind disposition. Aminah’s shoulders slumped and she felt herself deflate a little. Rejection was a hard feeling. ”Oh, alright then… thank you again for the help.” She patted her small parcel of food she was carrying with her and turned to walk away from the group. The camp began their duties again and Aminah walked with a slightly heavy heart. She tried to convince herself that she couldn’t have helped anyways; she’d just get in the way.
She continued on her way, stopping near the water where Drit had taken her earlier to eat her food. Luckily her fish hadn’t started to smell and she gathered some dry tinder farther from the water to start a fire. She used a flat rock nearby to fry the fish and though she didn’t have anything with her to boil the roots, she could still fry them and use the lilies. Maybe she could find something suitable for a pot later. Without it, she couldn’t quite make the tea either. It took too much energy to control water over the fire for her magic to help any.
She pulled the cooked fish onto a makeshift plate, away from the frying rock she had used to cook it and touched it with her fingers quickly to feel if it had cooled. Nope, still too hot. She set it to the side and lay onto her back again, staring at the sky. Her thoughts turned to the people she had met today, and Drit. He was the only one she had gotten a name for and the only one that kept coming into her thoughts again and again. Maybe they would meet again someday. Even as she thought it, her chest felt heavy with the truth; they wouldn’t meet again, and there were people out there that weren’t friendly to each other. People that didn’t want help and that didn’t want to meet anyone new. It was hard to swallow but she had been a bit foolish to think that they would just accept her.
She sat up, testing the fish once more. It was cool enough for her to nibble on, the flavor not entirely tasty, but not entirely bad either. It had a funny aftertaste that stuck in her throat long after the fish was gone. The roots were terrible; they were bland and had the texture of rubber. She had to choke every bite down with some water. The lily pads were better. She was glad she saved them for after the roots. They were slightly sweet and had a nice aroma to them. Now she could see why Drit had told her to pair them with the fish. They reduced the weird aftertaste that hung around from the fish and had her feeling like the meal wasn’t half bad, and she was full. She hadn’t been full in a while, not with the nectar from the Tale bulbs as her only type of meal since leaving home. She sighed when the food was gone, cleaning up after herself and lying down once again. It was close to dark now, and the fire she had lit was reduced to glowing coals. The night sky was just starting to wink stars into existence. Back in Tale there had been too many large trees blocking her view of the night sky. She wasn’t able to appreciate the glow of the moon, or the dusting of stars on the sky. Here in Sauti though, there was nothing to hide the sky from her.
As she relaxed under the vast assortment of starts, she could feel her eyelids grow heavy. Her last thought before drifting off was about her home in Tale, whether her family and friend missed her or worried, and Drit.
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Aminah’s eyelids fluttered open, her back stretching on the uneven ground beneath her. Her arms felt heavy; she must have slept on them wrong. She sat up from her position on the floor and looked up at the sky. It was still dark but she could see the slight glow of morning on the horizon. Now would be as good a time as any to keep moving. Her slumber through the night had lifted her spirits. The day earlier had faded into a hazy dream and she was ready to find what it was she was out here looking for.
She covered the remainder of her fire with dirt and packed up the rest of her gear, gathering some leaves and roots for the trip, along with the lilies to soften the taste. These would keep much longer than if she had tried to catch any fish. She didn’t know where she was going yet, but it was just as easy to keep heading east, maybe into Zena. She stretched her arms, making sure that all the tingling from her night’s rest had left them and left her camp ground, heading into the slowly rising sun. The air was already taking on its permanent yellow mist and the wind was beginning to pick up again.
Her ears perked at the sound of movement. She hadn’t moved very far from her camp and the sound came from behind her. She turned to address it, hoping it was only a stray moracker or even a sail scale she could handle. Capramels were usually complacent, but had been known to anger easily under the right circumstances. The brush to the right shook briefly with what looked like something large and Aminah was nervous. She didn’t know much about any of the other animals in Sauti, what if it was something that was dangerous. She thought back to the stone beast that they had found in the caves and her hands began to sweat. She was a mage now, she could take it; she tried to lie to herself. She was ready to run the other direction when it showed itself.
Aminah had to stifle a scream as she saw it was only an earthling. Not just any earthling, but Drit. She sighed when she realized that he wasn’t even turned her way. He was just heading to the pool of water with his empty buckets in tow. She didn’t even think that he had noticed her. Aminah followed him, trying to act casual. ”Hi, Drit. Do you need any help?” Her voice was just a tad too high, pinched by nerves. He turned quickly, caught off guard by her following him. ”Oh. You again. No, I don’t need help. How many times do I have to tell you that?” He sighed with exasperation. ”Shouldn’t you be gone by now?”Her stomach fluttered at the sound of his voice. Aminah was taken slightly off guard by his attitude. She wasn’t expecting a warm welcome, but maybe a little bit more kindness from him. She was hoping still that she could make a new friend out of him.
(Word count: 1,50 cool |
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Posted: Fri Jan 04, 2013 8:15 am
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Purpose
Aminah's smile never faltered as she spoke to Drit again. "I was just about to leave, but I was really hoping I could help you for helping me yesterday." She hoped she wasn't sounding pathetic, but she really wasn't ready to just keep going on with some unknown quest.
Aminah's pushing must have struck something in Drit, because he sighed and held out an empty bucket to Aminah. "Here. Take it. You can help me get some water. Then consider yourself helpful." Aminah could tell that he was more than ready for her to move on even if she wasn’t, but she couldn't shake the feeling of wanting to be there.
Aminah and Drit walked in silence to the pool of water, and filled their buckets in silence. Drit lifted his with ease, making Aminah look like a sloppy mess. She heaved her full bucket off of the ground and sloshed water onto the ground and herself. Her shirt was soaked through and she blushed at her embarrassment for being so unhelpful in this situation. Drit eyed her with exasperation and held out his free hand. ”Here, let me take it.”
”No, I’ve got it. I promise.” Aminah tried to steady the bucket with what remained of its water and puffed her cheeks with strain. ”I can carry this back to camp, no problem.” She took a few steps and splashed some more water onto herself. She could hear Drit behind her laughing at the sight she was quickly becoming. There was now more water on her clothes than there was in the bucket, not to mention the small drops of water that managed to reach her face. ”You have to lift it away from your legs or else you’re just going to keep splashing it on yourself.” Drit offered his advice, at least having the courtesy of letting her carry the bucket still.
Aminah smiled sheepishly and pulled more water from the pool next to them. ”Ok. This time I’ve got it.” She lifted the bucket as Drit said and moved a couple of steps in the direction of camp. ”Are you coming?”
Drit could only laugh again as he lifted his own bucket with one hand and continued with ease. Aminah followed close behind, trying her hardest to not spill anything and still keep up the brisk pace that Drit was setting.
They had finally reached camp, Aminah’s arms heavy from the strain of the bucket and her breathing heavy. Drit raised an eyebrow at her, seeming to become exasperated once again. ”I told you I could get it.” He took the bucket from her and disappeared into one of the makeshift tents. He returned empty handed, seeming to have left the buckets somewhere safe from what Aminah could guess.
”Alright, you’ve helped out. You don’t owe us anything anymore, why don’t you get going?” Drit’s words weren’t meant to be hurtful so much as just stating the obvious and she could easily see that. Aminah had done her job and there was no need to stick around anymore. With Aminah’s arms as sore as they were, she would have had to agree. It was still mid-morning and she felt like she was ready for a nap. She stretched her arms and turned to Drit with a smile. ”I’m happy I could have helped. I would help more if I could, but I think you’re right. It might be time for me to get going.”
She was happy that she could have helped, and having made herself at least a little useful, she didn’t feel the need to keep wandering anymore. It felt satisfying to have done something on her own, and she was ready to go home. Though that word would have to be reexamined; Aminah was old enough now to live on her own and she was already starting to concoct plans to make that happen and to transfer the little garden below her parents’ home into something grander. Traveling through Tale and Sauti and having to gather her own food, stirred something inside of her, a need to provide for others like these people had done what they could to provide for her. And she knew that these plans would grow to something magnificent.
(Word count: 709) |
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